The angel and her demon

~Purple and Gray~

Amber's POV:

Venable leads us down a hallway as she holds a brightly lit candle to guide our way as both Lola and Casen help me walk along the way as we follow her.

She leads us to a room, that looks like it marks the circumference of a circle, where multiple flames representing fire brightly light the room, like the candle Venable is holding. Casen asks, "Is this a fallout shelter?"

Venable, "It is now. For many years, it served as an exclusive boys' school." She turns her back again as we continue to follow her. I think to myself, 'That explains the smell.' Lola asks, "What kind of boys' school is subterranean?"

Venable answers us, "The Cooperative, to whom we owe our eternal gratitude, took ownership and converted it once they realized what was coming." I ask, "The end?" Venable answers my question as a statement, "No. The beginning."

Venable also states, "The Cooperative has plans far beyond the temporary cleansing fire of the bomb." I think to myself, 'Guess that rumbling I felt that day that was like an earthquake, must've been the atomic bomb exploding.'

Venable, "The Cooperative is not made up of nations or armies. It's a collection of the dozen greatest minds mankind has to offer. The visionaries." We stop at the beginning of a staircase, as we begin to follow her steps to walk up them.

Venable, "It may be seen as a regression: our way of life here, but you'd be dead wrong. Technology is what destroyed the world. Social media gave people the illusion they were equal, but that's all been swept away." I guess in a sense, Venable is right- social media has truly been a way to not only cause mental health issues like anxiety or depression, but also, it has been a way of having people bring out the worst in each other.

As I look to the side, I see a boy, on his hands and knees, dressed in gray, scrubbing the floors. I feel like I was watching 'Cinderella' again. As I look away from the boy, Venable speaks out, "The natural order will restore itself. I'll show you to your rooms. As Purples, you will each be furnished with a private suite."

Lola asks, "What's a Purple?" As we enter a room, Venable opens a closet and answers, "The elite. The worthy. Those chosen to survive. In The Outpost, everyone knows their place. The Purples wear purple, the Grays, gray."

I ask, "Who are the Grays?" Venable answers me with direct eye contact, "Grays are our worker ants. Still- a necessary component of any functioning society. The Grays are here to serve. And grateful for the opportunity. The alternative being nuclear winter, cancer, death."

Casen asks her, "So, what are you?" Venable, "I am neither. Rather, I am the strong right arm of The Cooperative. Think of me as their face." Venable continues, "The house rules are simple:

1. You will refer to me only as: Ms. Venable.

2. You may never leave the building. If you wander out onto the grounds, you will not be allowed back in, due to the danger of radiation contamination. You will take your chances with the canker pus monsters beyond the gates.

3. No unauthorized copulation of any kind. Under any circumstances, no exceptions."

Venable finishes with, "You'll find the evening wear on the left side of the armoire. We dress for dinner. Cocktails in the music room at 6:30. Be prompt. There's no excuse for tardiness when there's nothing else to do." Casen and I follow Venable to our own rooms, and we set up there.

I decide to take a shower, as I haven't taken one in, like, weeks. It felt good to have the water flow over me, to feel that nice heat again. I feel like a new person.

Lola, Casen and I walk into a room, to expect at least some form of 'cocktails.' Music plays as we see other people in the room. A man, bright blonde hair, in a purple suit, looks very annoyed, "That song- the same one every night."

I think to myself, 'Well, this is a very exciting group of people.' A man is cuddling with another man, both roll their eyes in equal annoyance, "Oh, here we go." The man in purple asks, "Where is it even coming from? And why do we have to listen to it? What are we missing here?"

The other male says, "About 99% of the world's population." The bright blonde male says, "Would've been better off dying with them." A brown haired woman, older, also wearing a purple dress says, "Speak for yourself, darling."

I quickly gather that the two men cuddling are gay, and that both the bright haired male and the brown haired woman are related. The bright blonde male holds up his drink, "Wouldn't have to drink this, whatever it is."

The brown male answers him, "It's mineral water." A gray, with tall hair asks a blonde haired woman in purple, "Have you had a chance to talk to Venable yet?" The woman in purple responds with, "No, she creeps me out."

I don't blame the woman in blonde hair. The gray states, "It's not fair that they get to be Purples and not me." The blonde woman points out with her finger, "Okay, he refused to touch my hair. If he was a Gray, and she's been to the Oscars, and was best friends with Natalie Wood, so fucking get some perspective."

The man won't stop complaining about the repetitive song, "It just plays over and over. 24 hours a day." He then touches the blonde woman's hair. The coupled white male speaks, "It's like Satan's Spotify playlist."

It is then that an older woman with tasseled up hair notices my siblings and I, "Don't be shy." Lola recognizes her, "You're Dinah Stevens. Our mom used to watch your show all the time." Dinah says, "Well, a million of Oprah, and I wouldn't be replaced by that telenovela."

I can't blame her either with that. The blonde man asks us, "What's happening out there?" I say, "It's all gone. Everything." His eyes widen at my answer as Ms. Venable enters the room and rings a bell, "Dinner is served."